Chapter 484 of the 2012 Acts of Assembly amended and reenacted § 10.1-1152 of the Code of Virginia relating to state forest special use permits, mandating that the Department of Forestry promulgate emergency regulations to implement the provision of the act that establishes a fee for the special use permit to hunt, trap, fish, ride bikes, and ride horses in a state forest. The act requires the agency to promulgate regulations within 280 days of the enactment of the act. This regulation is not exempt under the provisions of subdivision A 4 of § 2.2-4006 of the Code of Virginia. The changes to the existing regulation provide that any person who hunts, fishes, traps, rides a bike, or rides a horse in a state forest is required to purchase an annual special use permit for a fee of $15.

A permit to do any act shall authorize the same only insofar as it may be performed in strict accordance with the terms and conditions thereof. Any violation by its holder or his agents or employees of any term or condition thereof shall constitute grounds for its revocation by the department, or by its authorized representative. In case of revocation of any permit, all moneys paid for or on account thereof shall, at the option of the department, be forfeited to and be retained by it; and the holder of such permit, together with his agents and employees who violated such terms and conditions, shall be jointly and severally liable to the department for all damages and loss suffered by it in excess of money so forfeited and retained; but neither such forfeiture and retention by the department of the whole or any part of such moneys nor the recovery or collection thereby of such damages, or both, shall in any manner relieve such person or persons from liability to punishment for any violation of any provision of any Virginia State Forests Regulation. A state forest huntingspecial use permit will be required to hunt or, trap, fish, ride bikes, or ride horses on any state forest or portion thereof on which hunting and, trapping, fishing, riding bikes, or riding horses is permitted.

No person 16 years of age or older shall make, use, or gain admittance to, or attempt to use or gain admittance to the facilities in any forest for the use of which a chargespecial use permit is maderequired by the department unless he shall pay the charge or price fixed by the departmentobtain a special use permit and pay an annual fee of $15. Any person 16 years of age may hunt, trap, fish, ride bikes, or ride horses on any state forest and is not required to obtain a special use permit or pay an annual fee.

No person within the confines of any forest, shall hunt, trap, shoot, injure, kill or molest in any way any bird or animal, nor shall any person have in his possession any bird or animal, dead or alive, within the forest except any bird or animal designated as a game bird or animal by the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the trapping of, hunting of, shooting at, or possession of any such bird or animal is prohibited except during the lawful hunting season set for the forest or portion thereof by the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries and only in those forests or portion thereof designated by the Forest Superintendent as lawful hunting areas. A state forest huntingspecial use permit will be required. All provisions of the Virginia Code concerning hunting must be complied with.

Fishing is permitted in designated areas in each forest, the only stipulation being that persons fishing must have a state fishing license, have a special use permit, and comply with the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries rules and regulations.